The Grape Crate - a (mostly) scratchbuilt Model A Woody

[OldNYJim]

 While back I ordered a Revell Model A pickup cab on eBay to use for a build I had in mind (and still have, in fact) and the seller just put it in a padded envelope and hoped it would get here safe.  It did not.

So, I ended up with a cowl, a refund, and a bunch of broken pieces - and I’m going to try and make something worthwhile out of that one usable piece here.  I’d been messing with the idea of a scratchbuilt woody to fit on the Revell 29/30 frame and a plan started to formulate.

First up, zeeing the frame some.  I used a spare Model A frame rather than the Deuce, just for the sake of using the less obvious choice…

And a quick mock-up with the cowl:

I had a pretty clear idea in my head of how this thing would look, but it took some work to get it to look how I imagined.  I ended up with a very slight wedge-shaped side panel which gave the look I was shooting for.  Took a lot of washi tape to keep mocking up variations of styrene boxes on my bench though…

That done, this evening’s project was starting to add the timberwork - I had the idea that instead of having recesses in the doors like most woodies I’d have the woodwork flush to the edge of the cowl, flaring out towards the back of the car.  I made some little triangular boxes for the door pieces and then used styrene square bar for the rear portions:

Plenty more to do but it’s a start!  Tomorrow’s project will be making a roof…more soon!

[cobraman]

Interesting project.

[Modlbldr]

I'm looking forward to seeing this progress.

Later-

[Dennis Lacy]

Very promising start. The stance is right-on and the proportions look good. The wedge shaped door wood is an interesting idea, I think I like it. 

[OldNYJim]

Thanks fellas!

  On 9/12/2021 at 5:54 PM, Dennis Lacy said:

The wedge shaped door wood is an interesting idea, I think I like it.

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I’ve never really seen this done before - normally the wood sits flush with the cowl and then the panel behind it recesses in obviously…looks kinda WRONG compared to most woodies, but I wanted to try it.  I THINK I like it too, but we’ll see how I feel when it’s done ?

 

More scratchbuilding fun today - not much in the way of progress photos because gluing one piece of styrene to another isnt that interesting, but we got a roof on this tub today…

It’s looking pretty much how I imagined it in my head - looks better with a wheel next to it though…

It won’t be THAT low when it’s done, but I like how it’s looking so far!  Woodies are often kinda tame looking to me - I wanted to build something with a little more attitude to the shape, with some hard edges and likes that are a little different to the standard old surf-woody.  

Plenty more to do - thanks for looking!

[Modelbuilder Mark]

Cool so far!

Ready to follow along.

[Modlbldr]

Should call it the Lemon Crate since you're making lemonade from the lemons. (Using what you could from the destroyed body)

Later-

[David G.]

Cool!

It looks like a rolling coffin.

David G.

[OldNYJim]

Thanks fellas!  
 

  On 9/13/2021 at 12:18 AM, Modlbldr said:

Should call it the Lemon Crate since you're making lemonade from the lemons. (Using what you could from the destroyed body)

Later-

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Haha!  Thank you!  I wanted to paint it a dark purple I think(hence the name)…but that name gives me an idea for another build…hmmm….

  On 9/13/2021 at 11:57 AM, David G. said:

Cool!

It looks like a rolling coffin.

David G.

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I like that you said that!  I tried to make a subtle coffin shape with the roof so it tapers a little towards the back…good eye!

Working on some of the boring stuff this last couple of days - most of that has been figuring out the floor, which needed to be two pieces because of the way I made the internal structure of the body (what a dummy ?)

I like the sprint car style steering wheel that comes in the 29 kit so I’ll use that, and I modified the kit Revell dash to fit in this new body.  Not decided on the seat(s) yet.  Maybe a wooden bench?  ?? Plenty of scratchbuilding and kitbashing fun still to go on the interior there…

A little fun thing I had the idea to do - I redrew the standard Ford script logo to read “York”…as in ‘New’.  You can take the New Yorker out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the New Yorker…  I think the licence plate will maybe sit in the back window there somewhere and just read “NEW” to complete the concept

Cut a piece of styrene sheet with my plotter:

Then got it positioned on the back there carefully (the glue will eat thin styrene sheet like this is you’re not careful…)

Still working through some of the bigger, less interesting parts (supports in the body for the floor, for example) but I’m starting to get this thing to where I should be able to get a rolling mock-up together and figure out some little bits like lights and wheels and the grill.

More soon!

[Zippi]

Coming along nicely there Jim.  The script logo off your plotter looks great.

[David G.]

  On 9/16/2021 at 3:17 AM, CabDriver said:

I like that you said that!  I tried to make a subtle coffin shape with the roof so it tapers a little towards the back…good eye!

 

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I've been a funeral director for over twenty years so I guess my eye is trained to see certain shapes.

On a similar line of thought, I don't know if you realized it but York happens to be the name of a casket company based out of York, PA. Sooo... a happy coincidence?

Nice work with the styrene, it's fun to watch this come together. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us.

David G.

[NOBLNG]

Cool project! ?

[bobthehobbyguy]

Love it. Truly turning a lemon into lemonade. Outstanding scratchbuilding.

[espo]

I like your rear script idea. I'm watching how you're doing the wood portion of the body. I have had an idea like this for some time but on a later bodied car. So I have liked watching your wood work on this. 

[Kit Karson]

OK! You've got my attention!!

[OldNYJim]

Thanks fellas!  Interesting about the casket company, @David G.!  

Been plugging away at this thing - picked some big pointy headlamps out of my spares box, made the suspension linkages, made the inner door panels, picked some taillights and made mounts for them and found a license plate frame for the rear…next up is blowing it all apart and cleaning everything up and getting it ready for paint and additional detailing:

(Excuse the poor alignment for practically every part on there in the pics above - it’s all held together with Elmers and poster tack ??). More soon!

[David G.]

This thing's gonna be wicked cool when it's done.

David G.

[OldNYJim]

  On 9/19/2021 at 10:47 AM, David G. said:

This thing's gonna be wicked cool when it's done.

David G.

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Thanks David!  

Tiny bit of progress today (especially considering the amount of time I spent at the bench being unproductive…) - got some purple laid down on the parts that are meant to be purple!  

First up, shot them all with Testor’s Purple Pearl:

 

It’s a nice shade, but even over a light primer it was a little darker than I had in mind…not going for a traditional woody color scheme on this one:

Has a little too much of a burgundy tint to it for my liking, so I mixed up a hot pink mica pearl plus Future combination…

…which should lighten this color up nicely and add a little flip-flop to proceedings:

Tada!

Much more like I had in mind!  Now, 90% of this will be painted to simulate wood when we’re done, but I like the color better now.  

And that’s today’s progress…thanks for looking, more soon!

[slusher]

Jim, fantastic color you’ve created just like you cool build.  You have a style where you just go with it and see how it developes or takes you. Your very creative…

[David G.]

Beautiful color.

David G.

[OldNYJim]

Thanks fellas!

Tiny bit of progress today after letting the paint dry for a few days…painting the wood grain!

Masked and shot Tamiya tan acrylic:

Wood grain is burnt umber artist’s paint:

Then shot a thinned coat of candy yellow and carefully unmasked…

Excited to start to see those different material colors come together - the matte wood, shiny pearl paint, satin top and steel wheels…

Excited to have some major components in paint and ready to start some assembly and detailing…more soon!

[bobthehobbyguy]

Loving it. Cool concept. Nice job on the wood.

[NOBLNG]

Great job on the woodgrain! That is going to look fabulous when it’s all together.?

[cobraman]

This is going to be way cool !

[Limeyglue]

Looks great  love the colour and your wood detail is great